New College Swindon
N/A
Capacity
N/A
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About New College Swindon
New College Swindon is a popular choice among local families, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 416 applications for 200 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.08. Of those, 232 were first-preference applications, and 192 first-preference offers were made, meaning the vast majority of successful applicants had it as their top choice. This level of demand suggests a strong reputation in the community, though no direct parent satisfaction survey data is available in the school’s records. The school is a large, mixed sixth-form college and secondary school for students aged 16 to 99, with a capacity of 2,243. It is a state-funded institution in Swindon, with no religious character, and is led by headteacher Leah Palmer. A notable 38.7% of students are eligible for free school meals, indicating a diverse intake.
Academically, New College Swindon performs well above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.61 is rated ‘Well above average’ and ranks first out of 13 schools in the Swindon local authority, where the average Progress 8 score is -0.06. Nationally, it sits in the top 12% of schools. In English, students achieve a Progress 8 score of 0.85, and in maths it is 0.54. The Attainment 8 score is 48.7, and 72.3% of students achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the picture is more mixed: the value-added score is -0.62, rated ‘Well below average’, with an average points per entry of 29.02, equivalent to a C grade. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with Good for sixth-form provision, leadership, and early years. Its previous inspection in 2017 had rated it Requires Improvement, so this represents a clear step up.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, gymnasium, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. Sports on offer include cross country, netball, cricket, dance, tennis, football, swimming, basketball, and athletics, while clubs cover drama, choir, coding, book club, debate, Model UN, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provisions are comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a strong option for families with children who have a range of additional needs. Given its strong Progress 8 performance and oversubscription, it is best suited to academically motivated students, though the sixth-form results suggest families should look closely at post-16 options. The school also has nursery provision, so it can serve families from early years through to adulthood.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 16 to 99 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | New College Drive, Swindon, Swindon, SN3 1AH |
| Headteacher | Leah Palmer |
| Local Authority | Swindon |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 38.7% |
| School Capacity | 2,243 |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
8 Jun 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (8 Jun 2022): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 Jun 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.61)
365th of 3,141
Nationally
21st of 306
In South West
1st of 13
In Swindon
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
31.6
'22/23
31.5
'23/24
29.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2333%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 152 pupils).
- FE college43%
- School sixth form (stay)33%
- Not sustained10%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Sixth form college1%
85% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2335%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 68 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
8%
Russell Group
9%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)35%
- Employment32%
- Not sustained10%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Further education4%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology15
- Mathematics11
- Chemistry9
- English Literature9
- Biology8
- Computer Studies / Computing8
- Physics6
- Design and Technology (Product Design)5
- Art and Design (Fine Art)4
- Business Studies:Single4
- History4
- Sociology4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed200
416
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
232 families put this school as their 1st choice (56% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British53.9%
- Asian17.2%
- White (other)7.9%
- Mixed5.9%
- Black0.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
15
Total schools
15
Oversubscribed
12
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About New College Swindon
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
New College Drive, Swindon
Swindon, SN3 1AH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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